1. Field of the Invention
The system of the present invention is related to the use of operator consoles or workstations at a drilling rig site for monitoring and controlling drilling rig operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the oil and gas drilling industry, conventional operator""s or driller""s consoles or workstations present all of the data and control mechanisms for every element of drilling machinery to the driller or assistant driller at all times. Typically this data, in the form of switches, knobs, dials, meters, lights, indicators and joysticks, is integrated into the console with little regard to ergonomics and the prevention of information overload. Typically various control panels were provided by different tool and equipment vendors, each of whom applied their own ergonomic principles to the design of the particular control panels. The driller""s console was based on the layout of these discrete building blocks. Secondary data and controls were provided adjacent to the primary data, but due to the physical layout of the console they result in occupying the peripheral vision of the operators at extreme reaches from the control position.
A result of this approach was that when the operator performed any of the drilling processes, such as making a connection, tripping, circulating, etc., the data relevant to that process was fragmented across many control panels and was not contained within the driller""s primary vision. Further compounding this problem is that the panels are built with discrete controls present on the panel for all of the data associated with a particular tool or piece of equipment. As a result the operator must filter out the data needed just to perform any one process while still monitoring other events associated with the current process. Further effects of this approach resulted in consoles, and subsequently the driller""s cabins, with larger footprints that required more complex cabling and correspondingly increased weight.
Numerous advantages are achieved with the operator workstation and integrated control and information system of the present invention, which provides for a smaller, lighter, more ergonomically designed workstation focused on functionality relevant to the current drilling operation on a process oriented basis as opposed to focusing on a tool orientation. The system of the present invention provides for data from a current process to be presented to the operator within the operator""s primary vision, while allowing events associated with the current process (i.e. alarms, interlock messages, etc.) to be monitored and displayed on an event basis.
The drilling rig system of the present invention for monitoring and controlling operations on a drilling rig includes a man-machine workstation interface located in proximity to the drilling rig for providing to a single operator at substantially one location simultaneous operational access to drilling rig processes. The workstation includes an adjustable base and an operator alcove formed on the base in which an operator is positioned allowing for a substantially unobstructed view of the drilling rig. Adjustable forearm support panels are formed on opposing sides of the operator alcove for supporting the forearms of the operator while positioned in the alcove. At least one display unit is adjustably connected to the base and has a touch access screen adapted to allow the operator to monitor and control drilling rig processes. A plurality of discrete hand controls are used for controlling predetermined drilling rig processes wherein at least one of the discrete hand controls is located on the forearm support panels. Preferably, an operator chair is positioned in the alcove and is slideably connected to the base permitting seating and standing operation of the workstation. Data from multiple associated drilling equipment is integrated with data from a current drilling rig process to provide data to the operator on a process oriented basis displayed on said display units within the operator""s primary vision.